fun stuff

Mock Interview

WHY DO YOU DO WHAT YOU DO?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE KIND OF ICECREAM?

Trick question. I love every kind. Except for obvious gross combinations like licorice bubble-gum with rasberry.

HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME?

It is pronounced something like Be-York-Man, and means Birchman in Swedish. To say it right you must curl your tongue, and do this funny thing with your lips. If you aren’t up to the challenge just follow the instructions below: Pronounce the “B” just like in English. Contrary to popular opinion the B is NOT silent.

Pronounce the j as if it were an “I” or a “Y”

If you don’t mind sounding like an American, the “ork” part sounds just like it is spelled and rhymes with Mork from Ork is not a dork. If you want to say it like a Swede, you’re on your own, baby.

If you can’t pronounce “man” … well I’m so sorry.

The most common mispronunciations are: BORKman JORKman

My personal all time favorite misspelling on a piece of junk mail—Mrs. Bzordrian

IF YOU COULD DO ONE GREAT THING IN YOUR LIFE, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

Achieve world peace, end hunger, and provide universal education for women. OK. I have a frivolous goal too–create a neologism.

WHAT IS A NEOLOGISM?

Neologism—noun—a newly invented word or phrase Here’s one I came up with a few years back. Deev (short for deviant) – A person who takes a side-branch from the straight and narrow path in life, but in a cool sort of way.

Usage: Don’t be such a Deev, blow off your stupid Save the Iguana rally and come to the football game instead. Here’s one I invented the other day: Superiorcillious – acting like you’re above someone else, but it’s OK because you really are better than they are.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENTS IN YOUR LIFE?

My dad, Jody (my sister), and I sailed across the Atlantic Ocean when I was ten and Jody was thirteen. We had an amazing time together until the fighting broke out. After that we had an amazing time apart. When we reached Brazil, we forgave each other.

My family and I escaped from Argentina in the middle of the night during a revolution.

I didn’t have a boyfriend for the first three and nine-tenths years of high school. Then I met this incredible guy named Pelle in a poetry class at a junior college, but I neglected to mention that I was a high school student to him while we flirted. We are still married.

I live to travel. The most exotic places I’ve been to include Syria, Yemen, Tibet, and Bhutan.

My two sons traded TV watching for incredible imaginations. I could follow them around and fill up a book or two with their ideas every week (but I choose to live in my own imagination instead.)

WHAT NAMES DID YOU CONSIDER FOR YOUR FIRST SON?

Agamemnon, Thor, Sven, Drake, and Aristotle

CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME ADVICE?

Always wear a hat and sunscreen when you go outside. If I knew that years ago, I would look as young as I feel.

CAN YOU SHARE A WEIRD FACT ABOUT YOURSELF?

I can count to ten in English (no duh), Spanish, French, German, Swedish, Chinese, Thai, and Arabic. My son learned how to count to 10 in Berber when we traveled to Morocco.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MONOPOLY PIECE?

The shoe. I’ve always loved shoes, which is probably the girliest thing about me. Funnily enough, I go barefoot whenever I can.